10 Highly Effective Study Habits

Now that the kids are back to school and all settled in, I really want to make sure to start the school year off right.  I didn’t realize until AFTER I finished school how being successful really is all about having good study habits.  I want to make sure my kids have the “tools for success” already in place before they head off to college.  {Don’t I sound all teacher-like? Ha.}

So, if you are still in that utopian back-to-school place where you plan on getting up early to make hot breakfast, pack all organic lunches, and really be present during homework {ha}, here are some serious tips to help your student{s} make it a struggle-free year:

1. Get organized.  Seriously, teach your kids how to organize their binders, bags, etc.  Also, if you have older kids, give them the skills to keep an assignment planner.  Get them in the habit of writing their tasks down.  {This one will hopefully benefit you too by saving you from running out to buy poster board at 8:00 p.m. because they have a project due the next day.}
2. Follow a routine.  Make a hard-fast homework time in your schedule.  Little ones particularly benefit from predictability.  There’s less resistance when the time is already built into your day.
3. Get creative.  Getting creative isn’t just for the little ones.  Older students can find what habits are effective for them individually by trying out several techniques:  flash cards, rewriting notes, making up songs, making a game out of studying {memory, game shows, etc.}
4. Location, location, location.  Determine a set place for kids to study.  It helps them get into the mindset.  Maybe it is a desk in their room, your family office, or the dining room table?  Make sure their location is stocked with supplies.  My kids never really liked studying in their rooms, so I made them a little tote with pens, pencils, markers, scissors, etc.  We pulled it out during homework {which they always did at the kitchen counter} and then stashed it out of sight until the next day.
5. Limit distractions.  Make sure snacks, bathroom breaks, etc. are all taken care of before they start to study.
6. Encourage your kids to talk to their teachers.  In a world of email and instant communication, it is important to teach your kids how to email their teacher and/or ask for clarification.  Some kids are too embarrassed to raise their hand in class if they get behind, show them other ways to communicate if that is the case.
7. Teach healthy lifestyle habits for test days {all days, really, but that is not always realistic}.  Encourage kids to go to sleep on time and eat a healthy breakfast on test days.  As they get older, the tests come with higher stakes, so healthy habits will really play into their success.
8. Encourage them to learn their learning style.  When they bring home an assignment or test with a great grade, ask them what they think helped them the most.  A pattern may start to emerge.
9. Encourage note-taking.  Note-taking is a learned skill.  Either the teacher suggests it or he/she doesn’t.  Encourage your child to do it anyway.  Show them how.
10. Older kids have a lot of pressures.  Studying from start to finish is too much.  {Man-oh-man, I am glad I am not in high school now!}  Encourage them to take breaks.  Depending on the kid, maybe a 10 minute break every 30-50 minutes will help re-center them.  For some people, the prospects of a 2 hour study session seems so overwhelming, they don’t want to begin.  Teach them how to recognize their time limits.

Do you teach your kids HOW to learn?  If so, how do you do it?

~Mavis